


eridanus

by mother_of_lions



Series: Merlin Fucks [1]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Angst, Canon Era, Canonical Character Death, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Getting Together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-29
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-14 23:54:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29054727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mother_of_lions/pseuds/mother_of_lions
Summary: “Where shall we go, then?”“Somewhere with mountains.”“A few fields,” Freya adds.Merlin smiles, pressing a kiss to her temple. “Wild flowers.”He can feel her smile against the skin of his shoulder, warm and soft. “A couple of cows.”“And a lake.”“And a lake,” she agrees.
Relationships: Freya/Merlin (Merlin)
Series: Merlin Fucks [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2131626
Comments: 5
Kudos: 25
Collections: The Merlin Fucks Anthology





	eridanus

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Merlin Fucks Anthology
> 
> Named for the constellation eridanus, which means river

Her skin is soft and her smile sad as she looks at him, watches him with big blue eyes that have seen far too much in such a short amount of time.

“I’m going to look after you,” he promises, voice low, wanting to reach out and hold her, comfort her. She’s like him, made from magic, and he can feel it in the air every time they share the same breath.

“You can’t,” she whispers back, curling in on herself like she's afraid his words are going to hurt. “I’m not like you, Merlin. I’m a monster.”

But all he can see when he looks at her is another pile of blackened bones on the pyre, another death at the hands of a madman, her blood on his hands if he cannot save her. He sees Gaius, locked in a cage in Merlin’s stead. The same type of cage he rescued her from, and it can’t happen it again, he won’t let it.

“No, you’re not, Freya. You're like me, we're the same. Magic is beautiful, let me show you.” She lets him move closer, fingertips gentle as he caresses her elbow, trailing up her arm. His lips find hers in the gloom, the half light of the candles providing just enough to see by. “I’ve had enough of Camelot, of this life. Run away with me.”

Merlin kisses her then, a soft press of lips against lips as she relaxes into him, arms winding around his neck. He can count her ribs underneath the ripped dress she wears, hip bones sharp under his palms as he brushes down her flank, trying to keep her from startling.

Growing bolder, Freya pushes at his jacket until Merlin catches on, letting go of her hips only to yank his arms out of the sleeves, dropping the jacket into the dirt beside them. Her slim fingers find the knot of the scarf on his chest, deftly undoing it and letting it fall. He unties his own shirt laces, her delicate hands caressing his face. Soft thumbs stroke his cheekbones and Merlin cannot remember the last time he felt so cherished.

“I don’t deserve you,” she whispers against his lips, in between soft kisses. “Why are you doing this?”

“I want to,” Merlin tells her honestly, his heart constricting. She deserved everything soft and bright in the world, and Merlin wanted to be the one to give it to her. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” She cuts off further protests with a kiss, pulling the hem of his shirt up. They break apart as he pulls it off, leaving it in a pile in the dirt. Freya runs her hands over his newly bared skin, tentatively grazing the scars on his chest. Her touch is light and soft, sending shivers down his spine, cock hardening. She presses closer, running sharp nails lightly down the skin of his back, around to his belly and down to his trousers, untying the laces.

Freya’s lips move down his neck, teeth scraping over his Adam’s apple. His fingers tangle in her hair, the strands dark and knotted together. Working a hand loose, he pulls the laces on the front of her dress, slipping the straps from her shoulders and letting it drop.

Cupping the back of her neck, Merlin tilts her head up, licking into her mouth as he turns them, laying down on his back in the straw, gazing up at her and feeling consumed, like he’s burning from the inside out. Her hair falls in a curtain around them, tickling at Merlin’s ears as she grinds down against him, ragged breaths falling from her lips. He flips them effortlessly, settling her into the straw gently and pulling his trousers and boots off the rest of the way.

His cock is flushed and hard, glistening with precome in the candle light. He settles himself between her legs, knees draped over his shoulders, pressing kisses to the insides of her thighs. “I just want to take care of you.”

Freya’s fingers find his hair and she pulls him down, shyness dissipating. He licks along her lips with the flat of his tongue, teasing the edges for a moment before slipping his tongue in. Her back arches with a soft gasp, stilling for just a moment before moving her hips with him, pushing herself down onto his tongue.

He pulls out, soothes her with the flat of his tongue, tonguing her clit while he gets a hand free and cups her breast, anchoring himself and slipping two fingers inside her, thrusting in time with his tongue.

She whimpers in pleasure, fingers tightening in his hair as she comes, legs clenching around his head. He fingers her through it, moving quickly as her tremors subside. Withdrawing, he slips his tongue back inside, savoring the taste of her, hoping he knows she’s cherished beyond words.

“Run away with me,” he whispers as Freya pulls him back to her, legs settling around his waist. Her eyes flick to his for a moment, but she doesn’t respond, running sharp nails up his back and pulling him down for a kiss, grinding against his leaking cock.

“We’ll talk about it later,” she finally says. “Let’s take care of you first.”

His cockhead slides in easily, and he takes his time pushing in, dropping kisses across Freya’s face and down her neck, thumbing across her nipple before taking it into his mouth, sucking and scraping the edge of his teeth over it. She arches her back as Merlin bottoms out, pressing his forehead to her chest and biting his lip, the heat and pressure overwhelming.

Pulling out, he thrusts as gently as he can manage, setting a steady rhythm and closing his mouth around her other nipple, free hand holding her hip as he fucks into her, wanting every action he takes to spell love and affection. When they have left Camelot they can take the time to learn each other properly.

Merlin knows he’s close, angles his hips to give her as much of himself as he can, thrusting faster as her face twists, moaning his name as she comes, Merlin not far behind.

After, they lay cuddled on his jacket, her head tucked into his shoulder as he strokes her back. “I’ll get you some clothes tomorrow, to disguise you. Then we’ll go.”

“Merlin,” she huffs quietly. “You have a life here, a good life. I can’t ask you to come with me, to always look over your shoulder. That’s no life for anyone.”

“I want to,” Merlin protests, fingers tracing the Druid symbol on her forearm. “I’ve never known anyone like you. I told you, I’m going to look after you. We’ll go somewhere far away, where no one knows us.”

“I’d like that,” she whispers. “Where shall we go, then?”

“Somewhere with mountains.”

“A few fields,” she adds.

Merlin smiles, pressing a kiss to her temple. “Wild flowers.”

He can feel her smile against the skin of his shoulder, warm and soft. “A couple of cows.”

“And a lake.”

“And a lake,” she agrees.

Merlin doesn’t manage to come back for almost a full day, creeping into the dark tunnel late at night, the Lady Morgana’s most beautiful gown draped over his arms. The spot he left Freya is dark, however, the candles snubbed out and knocked over.

“Freya?” He calls, knowing in his heart she isn’t there. Dropping the dress, he bolts from the tunnel, racing up the steps as quickly as he can and back to the courtyard.

Arthur and his knights have cornered a large, winged panther, just like Gaius had warned him. Freya’s snarls and growls echo across deserted square, and Merlin feels desperation threaten to overwhelm him. He calls for her and their eyes meet over Arthur’s head, accidentally distracting her and allowing Arthur to land a fatal blow.

She swipes with massive paws, knocking the knights back and giving herself the moment she needs to escape. Guilt threatens to overwhelm him, and Merlin rushes after her, confident he can heal her if he gets to her in time.

He finds her back in the tunnel under the castle, her dress is gone but blood covers the floor, clotting the dirt. Taking off his jacket, Merlin covers her, trying to get a good look at the wound but she won’t let him, tears streaming down her face from the pain.

“You must hate me. I’m a monster, I tried to tell you.” Her body shakes with sobs.

Merlin can feel his heart breaking, the happiness of the last few days dissipating. “No, don’t say that.”

“I wasn’t always like this, you know,” she tells him. “There was a man, he attacked me. I didn’t mean to hurt him, I didn’t, I swear.”

“Freya,” Merlin shushes her, “Don’t try to talk. Let me help you.”

“His mother was a sorceress and when she found out I’d killed her son, she cursed me to kill forevermore,” she sniffles. “Merlin, stop. It doesn’t matter. The wound is too deep. Please, just go.”

“I’m not leaving you,” he promises, and she finally lets him hold her as the life begins to fade from her.

Merlin does his best, trying to prolong her life for as long as he can. He puts Lady Morgana’s dress on her, and Freya does her best to help, growing weaker by the minute. Cradling her in his arms, Merlin carries her from the tunnels and takes her to the lake, doing his best to keep her awake.

“You remembered,” she whispers in awe, cracking her eyes open enough to look at the lake.

Merlin settles her against a tree and gets to work quickly, adorning a boat with as much colorful foliage as he can find in the area. Freya keeps her eyes closed the entire time, and Merlin isn’t sure if she doesn’t want to watch her funeral pyre being built or if she is simply too exhausted to care. He sits beside her when he finishes, pulling her into his lap and holding her tightly.

“I’m sorry for what that sorcerer did to you,” he whispers, feeling tears prick at his eyes. “There must be something I can do to save you.”

“Oh, Merlin,” Freya sighs, a small smile brightening her pale face. “You already have saved me. You made me feel loved.”

“Freya,” Merlin begs, voice cracking. His throat feels like its on fire, and it’s a struggle to get the words out. “Please, I don’t want you to go. Stay with me.”

“One day, I will repay you,” she promises, and her eyes close for a final time.

He buries his face in her hair, feeling the tears escape and run down his face. Biting his lip to keep from sobbing, he holds her tightly, rocking her as if she is only napping and will wake at any moment.

He wishes she would.

Eventually, he settles her in the boat, arranging her skirt and hair and pressing a final kiss to her forehead.

Stepping back, he grits out, “ _Astyre_.” The boat casts off from shore, floating serenely out onto the lake. Holding out a hand, he takes a steadying breath.

_“Wæcce on sæbát bælfýr mæst.”_

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are appreciated!  
> I'm on [Tumblr here](https://mother-of-lionss.tumblr.com/) and I run the [Merlin Fic Discord Server](https://discord.gg/zcfTDsT) if you want to come chill with us!


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